WASHINGTON — When the US Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day, its election year calendar permits it only four weeks to finish the 2017 defense spending and policy bills before the end of the fiscal year. Congress watchers are betting lawmakers will pass a stop-gap continuing resolution (CR) before Sept. 30 to avert a government shutdown and wait until after the election for long-term solutions.
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With few incentives for lawmakers to reach a deal before the election reveals Congress’ new status quo, lawmakers are expected to pass a CR before the next fiscal year starts. Gordon Adams, a former top defense official at the Office of Management and Budget and now a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center, predicted the CR would ends in December at the latest, which leaves time to cut a deal before the 114th Congress exits for good. “I don’t think the politics work to extend the CR into next year,” Adams said.
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